The Scorching Truth
by DragonLord15
Summary: No one knew what happened before the Scorching five thousand years ago. When the dragonets of destiny find a animus-touched ring they may be the first dragonets to find out as they find themselves in a world before dragons existed. Can they survive this strange new world and get their lives, and their bodies, back to normal? COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

"Starflight, are you sure this is the right way? We've been in here for an hour and I think we are going in circles."

"I know, but it's got to be around here somewhere." Starflight mumbled, touching the tip of his wing to the cave wall to orientate himself. Under his arm he carried an old scroll, so old that it was literally crumbling at the edges. He pulled it out and unrolled it. saying, "Tsunami, could you check the direction of the tunnels again? We should have taken two lefts and three rights so far. I'm just glad I memorized the layout before…"

Here he paused, and everyone else knew what he was thinking.

Before the war ended, Starflight had been taken to the home of the Nightwings; a dead island with a volcano ready to explode over their heads. Soon the volcano erupted, but Starflight helped get most of the Nightwings through the tunnel that lead into Rainwing territory, but was soon confronted by Morrowseer. As they prepared to fight the volcano exploded and Starflight would have died alongside Morrowseer if it wasn't for Clay and his fire-proof scales. But sadly,he had lost his sight. Even after four months, it was still hard for Starflight to adjust to being blind. Perhaps the hardest part was not being able to read his scrolls; at least he had Sunny and Fatespeaker to help him.

Starflight cleared his throat awkwardly, sightless eyes staring at the floor.

"Um, can I ask you where you found this scroll again?" Clay asked, trying to change the topic.

It seemed to work because Starflight lifted his head a little and spoke with confidence, "I managed to sneak it out of the Nightwing library before the volcano erupted. The thing that drew my attention was this symbol," He flipped the scroll around to show them. The symbol was of three claw marks, and inside each one there was a evil-looking eye glaring out. "This sign, according to legend, is the sign of Darkstalker, the first Nightwing animus dragon. And also the most evil dragon that ever lived." Here Starflight paused, shivering. "Any way, this scroll was written by Darkstalker himself. He wrote that he had enchanted many objects, but that one of the more powerful ones was a ring, but he didn't say what it did."

"And you think that if you find it, you can figure it out," Glory asked. Starflight nodded.

"Well, we better get going if we ever want to get out of here before dark," squeaked Sunny, nudging Tsunami, whose scales were their only constant source of light.

They continued on, Tsunami leading the way, followed closely by Starflight, who clamped onto her tail. Glory and Sunny came next, and Clay was the last, on account that his great bulk often caused him to get stuck.

They passed through forests of stalactites and stalagmites, and through lakes and rivers of clear mountain water. As they were passing underneath a cascading waterfall, Tsunami suddenly stopped, causing everyone to bruise their noses as they collided.

"Tsunami, what's the holdup?" asked Glory.

Tsunami growled, pointing ahead of her. "There's nothing. It's a dead end."

"What?" exclaimed Starflight, forcing himself past Tsunami. He reached out his arms and waddled forward until his talons scraped the damp wall. It was, indeed, a dead end.

"No," Starflight stammered. "But I had been so sure… It couldn't have been wrong."

Sunny shifted uncomfortably. "It _was_ really old, Starflight. Maybe someone moved it, or maybe the layout changed?"

Silence greeted Sunny's words until Tsunami sighed.

"Look Starflight, maybe we just took a wrong turn somewhere. We should head out and try again in the morning." Starflight nodded his head sadly and began to turn around to head back.

"Um, guys?" asked Glory. Their heads shot up. Sunny and Glory were pulling Clay's arms, trying to pull him through the opening, while he smile sheepishly.

"I think I'm stuck," said Clay. Glory and Sunny pulled harder, but lost their footing and flew backward into Starflight and Tsunami.

"Good job, Clay," growled Tsunami. "How are we supposed to get out before dark now?" Starflight frowned.

"It's alright, it's not Clay's fault. Let's all try to push instead." They all put their talons on Clay and pushed. And pushed. And pushed. And pushed. And pushed.

After a while their strength gave out and they flopped onto the ground panting, sweat riveting down their scales.

After minutes of silence, Clay lifted his head and said, "Um, guys?"

Starflight wearily turned his head. "Yes, Clay?"

"Would Darkstalker's symbol on the wall have any significance to our quest?"

There was no movement for a few seconds, then everyone pushed each other in their rush to see what Clay was looking at. Sure enough, in the top right corner, Darkstalker's symbol blended seamlessly into the obsidian stone.

"How did you even see that?" asked Sunny, squinting.

"I can see underwater, and in the dark, remember?" Clay responded. Starflight ran his claws over it, pondering.

"I wonder," he muttered, taking his scroll out again. "Glory, can you put Darkstalker's symbol from the scroll onto the one on the wall?" Glory took the scroll and did as Starflight asked. As the two halves met, an orange glow came from the wall, becoming so bright that they all shut their eyes from the glare. Though they couldn't see, they could still hear, and they all heard the crunch of stone and mumbling of rock through their blindness.

As quickly as it started, the glowing ceased and the stone fell silent once more. When they opened their eyes there was no more wall. An opening led onward, leading to who knew where. They looked at each other gravely.

"We can't go back now,"Starflight said.

"I agree," said Clay. "But before we do that, can you please help me get out of here?!"

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of pulling, they managed to force Clay through the gap, and continued on.

The light from Tsunami's scales was just enough to guide their path, but only just so. They occasionally stumbled over unseen roots and rocks and they followed the winding path.

The sight that greeted them as the turned a corner took the breath from their lungs.

It was like an oasis in the desert. The whole area was green with plant life, moss growing up the walls and vine-like tendrils hanging like bats from the ceiling. Flowers, from the brightest res to the darkest black, glittered like gold throughout the scene. A gurgling stream wound its way through the ground like a snake, an occasional trout leaping into the air. HIgh above, an opening in the ceiling revealed one of Pyrria's full moons. A direct beam shined through the hole, making a certain tock glow. And on that rock… Darkstalker's ring.

As the dragonets advanced forward, almost as if in a trance, Starflight sunk his talons

into the rich earth in excitement. He was so close. All his research, all the sneaking and the stealing and the hiding was about to pay off.

Sunny, however, followed reluctantly. While she loved the beautiful scenery, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was suddenly a bad idea. BUt she said nothing. She knew how hard Starflight had worked on finding the lost NIghtwing treasure. If she destroyed that dream for a feeling she might be imagining… she couldn't live with herself.

The group stepped before the stone. Up close they could see cracks and rivets in the stone, revealing its age. Glory pointed to scratches that were barely elegible words:

" _Risk the RIng at your own peril._

 _The treasure it holds is for the clear of mind and the strong of spirit._

 _You have been warned."_

Starflight reached out, feeling the words in the stone. Feeling along the edge he moved toward the ring, tail quivering in excitement,

"Starflight, wait," Sunny burst, unable to hold back any longer, and everyone stared at her.

"What's wrong, Sunny?" questioned Clay, gazing at her in concern.

"I...I just don't think this is a good idea. Maybe we should think about this for a minute."

"Why?" barked Tsunami.

"It's right here in front of us," added Starflight. "We can't close the door that fate rarely opens."

"I just think we shouldn't touch it yet. You all heard what was written in the stone. Are you prepared, are WE, as a group, prepared for the consequences?"

Clay and Glory looked at each other. Tsunami huffed and looked away, while Starflight frowned, searching for an answer.

Several tense minutes passed, and when no one spoke Starflight sighed deeply. "You're right, Sunny. In my excitement I had forgot to be careful. This needs more thought. We should leave the ring here for now, until we know more."

When no one objected, Starflight stood, head craned back to look at the distant hole in the ceiling, "Let's see if we can fly out of here. It's better than walking back through those cramped tunnel."

Tsunami darted forward, shouting, "Starflight, stop!"

Too late. As Starflight stretched out his wings, the tip of them grazed the ring.

Starflight, noticing, shook his wings, but the ring was attached, attracted like a magnet. Gold ropes of light burst from the ring, wrapping around Starflight.

"Guy's, what's going on!?" yelled Starflight. twisting himself in the effort to loose himself.

As the ring began to glow, the light faded and receded like a pulse, and more tendrils of light enveloped of the frozen group.

They struggled in vain. It seemed the more they fought, the tighter the tendrils of light clenched. More and more were piled on until everything but their heads were wrapped in golden light.

"Geez, Starflight, good job," snarled Tsunami.

Starflight didn't answer as the light grew brighter still until with a loud pop, the light disappeared. The scene returned to the way it had been before. Except for one thing. The dragonets were gone.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Clay sensed was the sound.

The gurgling of water and the rustling of leaves penetrated his conscience, and somehow he knew it was night.

His sense of smell returned next. Rotten vegetation, prey, and an unknown smell wafted on the slight breeze.

Groaning, he forced his eyes open against his pounding headache. He was lying face-down, his view consisting of dirt and ants. He lifted his head. He was lying in a clearing, the leaves of the trees around him blocking out the full moon. The other moon was not in sight. A stream ran past and he glimpsed the eyes of an animal before it scuttled away.

Gingerly he tried to stand. Immediately he knew something was wrong. He looked down at his feet and had to stifle a scream.

His scales had gone, replaced with peach-colored skin. Sharp, lethal talons were morphed into small, dull extensions. He moved them and they wiggled back at him like pale worms. He moved his new arms up to touch his face. He felt his now-shrunken nose, the ears pressed flat to his head, the weird stuff on the top of his head and above his eyes. He looked down at the rest of his body. Tail, wings, and powerful haunches were no more. Legs that looked like muscular sticks with shrunken talons greeted his eyes. A weird thing stuck out from below his stomach, like his tail had been miniaturized and placed onto his front.

He looked around more closely. For the first time he noticed that he was alone, so absorbed was he with his new body. He fought back a rising panic.

"Guys?" he yelled, a deep voice vibrating in his vocal cords. No answer. He yelled again and waited. Nothing.

He tried to calm himself down. Panicking wouldn't help them. He needed to find his friends.

And he would have to find them himself.

He reached out his arms and pushed himself to his feet. He managed to stay on his feet for a few seconds before the world tilted and he landed on the ground.

Wincing at the new bruises on his legs, he tried again. This time he managed to stay up longer before falling and adding more bruises on his body.

The next time he tried he was able to remain standing, still slightly wobbly. He took a deep breath and picked up his left foot to step forward. The world lent to the right and he fell down again.

The next ten minutes involved Clay standing, Clay falling, Clay lifting his foot, Clay falling, Clay trying again, and Clay falling again.

Finally Clay was able to stand and lift his foot without falling over. Hesitantly he lifted his foot and tried to start walking.

The world spun but Clay held himself firm and was able to remain standing.

He stumbled over to the stream, not knowing that he looked like a drunkard trying to walk home. He gasped at the reflection that he knew was his own.

A handsome face stared back at him, fear in his eyes. A messy of brown hair covered the top of his head.

Clay immediately knew what he was.

A scavenger. He, somehow, had turned into the lesser of intelligent beings that live in the dragon kingdoms. And Clay had a good feeling that if he was a scavenger now, so were the others.

He glanced at the circle of dark trees around him. He didn't know which way to go, so he picked a random direction.

It felt different, walking upright and without his heightened senses. His eyes could see with less clarity, his ears strained to discern sound, his sense of smell was almost non-existent, and whenever he stepped on a particular sharp rock or stick his feet bleed profusely. He even tried to breath fire, but only got a burning in his throat and a gurgling sound.

He stumbled through the woods a long time without success. All he could find was plants and the occasional furry animal.

He was just beginning to wonder if he would ever find them when something hit him from behind.


	3. Chapter 3

The ground rushed up to meet Clay as his knees buckled under the weight of the unseen force behind him.

He landed hard on the ground, adding new bruises to his growing collection. It also took him a few seconds to realize that he was lying on tip of a thorn bush, and the other person's weight was forcing him down on their sharp points.

"Get off!" he shouted, his squirming digging the thorns in farther. Surprisingly the pressure vanished from his body and he managed to crawl out from the thorn bush.

Hissing in pain he whirled around to face his attacker. Another scavenger started back at him, about the same height as him but skinner, and with less muscle. Unlike Clay, his skin was completely black, with dark hair on his head that seemed to curl naturally. His brown eyes stared unseeingly ahead, milky white at the edges.

A lightbulb went off in Clay's head.

"Starflight?" he asked hesitantly. The other scavenger's head shot up.

"Clay?" he asked, glancing vainly around in an attempt to pinpoint Clay's location. Clay reached out his hand and grabbed his arm. Starflight jumped away and shrieked in a shrill voice. "What was that?! What touched my arm!? It felt really cold and clammy and gross."

"Starflight, it was me."

"Oh."

There was an awkward pause. Clay reached out again and touched Starflight and this time he didn't jump away.

"Come one." Clay started walking, pulling Starflight along behind. "We need to find the others."

The next several hours were tough for Clay.

The woods only seemed to get darker and more abundant with sharp sticks, rocks, and stickers leading the way. Unused to his easily-penetrated skin, Clay constantly forgot he didn't have tough scales and gave himself bruises and cuts to make himself look like he fell off a cliff. After every new bruise and cut he turned to help Starflight avoid the same fate, but he did a bad job of it. Soon they both looked like an army of cats had attacked them.

They found Sunny sitting underneath a tree, shivering in the cold night air. Her pale skin was easy to pick out, even in the almost-absolute darkness. Short blonde hair made her dark brown eyes pop, and she screamed with delight when she saw Clay and Starflight.

They found Glory next. Her tan body and raven-black were harder to see, and it was the reason that they practically ran her over before they saw her.

With most of his friends found, Clay began to slow, his bruised body and the long night starting to take its toll. At the urging of the others Clay stopped under a towering oak, its leaves making a loud cracking noise as the wind whistled through them.

There was silence as everyone caught their breath and assessed their bleeding feet.

"What are we going to do?" exclaimed Sunny, building the tension that had somewhat waned with their rest.

Clay felt the rising panic spread through the air and fought to regain control of the situation.

"Calm down, Sunny. We'll work it out, I promise. In the meantime, we need to find Tsunami."

"Yeah, you didn't really find me; you stumbled upon me." They jumped at the sound of Tsunami's voice, looking around but not finding her.

"Tsunami, where are you?" asked Glory, scanning the surrounding foliage in vain.

"Look up." They did, and finally found Tsunami.

A very tan scavenger female glared down at them with sea-green eyes, hanging literally by a thread, her foot caught in strands of vine. It was the only thing keeping her from breaking her face on the ground.

Tsunami continued to glare at them as they fought to control their laughter. "Get me

down," she hissed through clenched teeth.

Sunny backed up, then ran at the tree and up the trunk. managing to grab the lowest

branch.

Hoisting herself up with more arm strength than Clay thought she possessed, Sunny scrambled until she was level with Tsunami's foot.

"I think I got it," Sunny said, examining the vines. "Clay, I'm going to need you to catch her so she doesn't break her neck, okay?"

"Right." Clay maneuvered himself underneath Tsunami until she was directly above him.

"Ready?"

"Yeah." Sunny reached over and rummaged through the tangle of vines and with a snap like the cracking of bone and Tsunami came hurtling toward him.

He reached out his arms and caught her before they both fell to the ground, Clay cushioning Tsunami's fall.

It was a bad day for Clay.


	4. Chapter 4

Starflight really hated trees.

He really did.

Everywhere he walked there were trees blocking his way, branches poking him in uncomfortable places, and roots that twisted his ankles and making him fall. Not to mention the rocks, sticks, thorns, and stickers blooding his fragile skin.

It was so embarrassing.

But what was even more humiliating was having to be lead around like a wayward dragonet, talons clasped tightly around Clay's tail. The owner of the tail took Starflights' need with good will and n fanfare, helping Starflight avoid the worst of the harms.

Starflight had to admit Clay wasn't doing a very good job.

He grumbled as the person in front of him stopped suddenly, and he bumped his nose. Again.

"What is that?" he heard Sunny whisper.

"What?" Starflight asked, glancing vainly around. There was no response until Tsunami whispered excitedly.

"There's this big...well, I don't know what it is but it's just sitting there in the middle of this field. The other's voices faded to the background as Starflight pondered. Wherever they were, it was not Pyrrhia. Whatever this new land is, they needed to know more.

"I think we need to check it out," he said to the darkness. He waited, sure they were looking at him."We need to know more about our surroundings. If it doesn't seem dangerous, I think we should proceed with caution."

"I think Starflight's right," Tsunami said suddenly. "We need to know more."

Clay hated this idea.

It screamed at him, warning bells flashing in his mind. But the small, rational part of his brain knew that Starflight was right.

And, he didn't want to admit that he was a little curious.

Their little group had all agreed that perhaps only a couple of them should go scout and come back.

So here he was, walking through waist high grass with a still embarrassed Tsunami.

She hissed angrily and glared at Clay. "No one is to share with anyone what happened, got it?"

Clay sighed. They had been over this before. "Tsunami, no one is going to spill. Have a little faith in us, would you?"

Tsunami didn't respond.

He reached out a hand, shaking slightly, and touched the structure, It felt rough in texture, like the bark of a tree, and he could feel the splinters dug into his hand.

"I think we should go inside," said Tsunami, glaring at the door beside Clay. He removed his hand and spun around to look at her with wide eyes.

"Are you crazy?" he hissed. She grinned wickedly.

"Where is your sense of adventure? This is what we came here to do, remember?" And with the grin still on her face, she opened the door and walked into the unknown. With only a moment of hesitation, Clay followed.

If he had been in his normal body, he might have been able to penetrate the darkness. As it was he only say darkness, like the darkest night with no moon glinting of nearby rivers. The smell...wasn't one he had encountered before. Not bad, exactly, but discernable. A noise filled the darkness, a strange whistling that sounded like...breathing?

"Tsunami?" he whispered, advancing slowly into the darkness.

What happened next stunned Clay.

A loud clanging filled the building, echoing and reverberating in the darkened space. An animal of some sort spooked, adding more loud noises to the orchestra. "Tsunami!" He shouted, fighting to be heard above the noise.

A sudden light made him squeezed his eyes shut. The light burned his eyelids red, like the world outside was on fire. Slowly he inched his eyes open.

Tsunami lay eagle-spread on the ground, in the midst of a pile of ruined boxes and strange pieces of metal, groaning softly. Sticking its head out from a hole in the wall was a large creature, its long face and ears perked with interest. And farther down the hallway...stood another scavenger.

Her long hair reached to the middle of her back, cascading down her shoulders. Her skin was tan where is peeked out of the strange black skin that covered most of her body. Her eyes stared at them with horror, glancing between the creature, Tsunami, and Clay, who was frozen in mid-step. She opened her mouth.

And screamed.


	5. Chapter 5

**I am soo sorry for the following chapter. It is very short and probably boring but I didn't have a lot of time to write this and I have a little bit of writer's block. I just wanted to get something up, so I am sorry if it sucks.**

The girl kept screaming, gazing with horror between the two of them. WHen she finally stopped, Clay breathed a sigh of relief.

He tensed as she drew another breath.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she hissed, anger flashing in her eyes. "Why are you in my barn, in the middle of the night, spooking the horses, while also completely naked!?" At this her eyes turned toward Clay briefly, then she glanced away, blushing.

Clay gazed down, then at Tsunami. Maybe this wasn't the best way to start.

He turned back to the girl. "Could you maybe find us some coverings? I guess this isn't the best way to have a conversation."

She shook her head, a small smile fighting its way to the surface. "No, it isn't. It's a little distracting." She paused. "Stay here. I'll get you some clothes."

When she had gone, Clay released a breath that he didn't know he had been holding.

Tsunami walked to where the animal was still prancing around nervously. "She called this thing a horse." She reached out a hand, but the the horse backed away, whynning nervously.

"Maybe it can still smell out scent." Clay said. "Our dragon scent, I mean. Maybe our bodies aren't as gone as we thought."

An armful of cloth was dumped by his feet and the girl turned away quickly. "Put them on, quickly, please."

He picked up clothes similar of shape to the girls and put them on, trying to copy they

way they fit. "So," said the girl into the awkward silence. "Would you mind telling me why you are naked in the first place? Are you drunk or something?" Clay glanced at Tsunami.

"We..we are lost," stammered Tsunami. "I think we were...how do you say it? Drunk? Yeah, we were drunk and we don't remember anything. Like at all."

There was a pregnant silence.

The girl sighed. "You better be lucky that my parent's aren't home." She sighed again. "This goes against my better judgement, but…" She peaked over her shoulder to check that they were dressed. "I can give you a place to sleep..at least until you get what drugs you've taken out of your system."

Clay sighed with relief. "Thank you. We appreciate the offer. But there is one problem."

"And what would that be?"

He hesitated slightly. "There are more of us."

A brief pause. Then, "How many more?"

"Three."

Another bough of silence.

"I guess...I guess I can fit three more. Go get them. I'll wait here."

Clay and Tsunami turned, and with one last backward glance, walked out the door.

"What are you wearing? Do you need me to get it off?!"

"No, Glory, it's alright." explained Tsunami, and launched into the tale of their adventure.

"Well," said Starflight, gazing in their direction. "We better go. I'm getting pretty cold."

So, leading the others, Clay and Tsunami paved the way to the barn. The girl's' eyes widened drastically at the sight of them all. "Stay here," she said, trying not to star while backing away.

When she returned they struggled to put on the clothes, the girl turned away. "You'll have to sleep here for tonight. My parent's always come back from work late, and I don't want to risk them finding you. I've got some blankets in one of the stalls. Don't worry, you'll be plenty warm." Inside, like she had said, blankets were laid out over loose piles of straw, with more to cover their bodies.

As they filed in, Clay hing back. "Thanks. For everything."

"Don't thank me yet. We have to make sure my parents don't find you. Get some sleep. I'll come back and check on you."She turned to leave but Clay reached out and grabbed her shoulder.

"I didn't catch your name." he murmured.

She blinked. "It's Jewel."

"Clay."

She smiled. "Goodnight, Clay." He let her go and as she walked away he couldn't help but wonder if this wouldn't be so bad after all.


	6. Chapter 6

The straw tickled Clay's nose, waking him from his sleep. He blinked his bleary eyes against the bright glare of the morning sun. His friends surrounded him, piled haphazardly across the straw. A horse stared at him from another stall, ears pricked with curiosity. The barn was quite, the only sounds were of birds in the trees outside.

He got to his feet and tiptoed to the door, trying to avoid stepping on a wayward hand of foot. The barn door was open, a cool breeze blowing the scent of pine, and of unknown substances waiting to be explored. In the morning light everything sparkled with dew. A path lead from the open barn door to the gigantic house 50 yards away, the peak barely reaching past the crown of the trees.

The house, blocked by the barn the night before, stood like a work of art. A garden lay to his right, flowers and vegetables blossoming in full bloom. A large hedge spanned in both directions and an opening reviled flower-lined paths. To his left lay open grassland, a dark mass of shapes in the distance.

He began walking, his feet steering him toward the opening in the hedge. Wandering aimlessly through the maze, Clay tried not to think of anything. He wanted just a few moments to himself before his friends woke up and they began brainstorming how to get home. Instead he studied the flowers. He marveled at all of the different sizes and colors. None of them were familiar.

The path he was on turned right sharply into a clearing in the heart of the maze. A fountain spewed water gloriously, and tiny golden fish swam in its shallows. And sitting on a bench, back to him, sat Jewel.

He walked slowly up to her, and only when he sat next to her on the bench did she speak.

"Do you like the maze? My mom has a fascination for flowers, and my dad for puzzles, but they both have a mutual love of living things that they passed on to me. Maybe that's why they became scientists. Or it might be because the government pays handsomely for their skill. They have been working on something that can change the world. At least, that's what they tell me." She laughed, turning to look at him for the first time. "I'm sorry. You probably don't want to hear me going on. It's just good to have somebody to talk to, not just my horses."

"You have no one? No siblings? Friends, even?"

Jewel shook her head sadly, eyes downcast. Clay felt a blosem of pity and sympathy grow in his chest. Back when they were kept underground, he had been unhappy, but at least he had had his friends to talk to. To have no one… he couldn't fathom it. He decided to humor her, at least for a while. He nodded at her to continue.

The sun rose steadily higher as Clay listened to Jewel talk about her parents, who loved her but weren't around often. About her love of horses, of her many championship ribbons, of her pain of having no one around to share them with…

She was just telling him about her first time trying to ride a horse when she glanced up at the sun and gasped. "I didn't mean to talk this long. Sorry. Come on, we should go check on your friends before they electrocute themselves or something." She hesitantly took his hand and he allowed her to lead him out, though he knew they weren't far from the entrance.

The horses nickered a greeting as they strolled into the now airy barn. They peeked into the stall where he had spent the night. Unbelievable. Everyone was still asleep. Jewel huffed irritably. "Unbelievable," she said, echoing Clay's thoughts. "It's noon and they are still asleep. Well," she said as Starflight gave a grunt and shifted slightly. "Let's not wake them up. Come on, you could use a shower." Clay chuckled and let her lead him from the barn.

Clay breathed deeply through his mouth, feeling the water run down his body. It was strange, this shower. If you wanted to get clean in Pyrrhia, you had to take a swim.

Clay prefered mud.

The shower also gave him time to think. He thought about the conversation with Jewel by the fountain. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. It gave him the satisfactions that, if nothing else on this trip, he had eased her loneliness, at least for a while. He turned the water off, the only sound was of the dripping of stray water droplets. For the first time that day he forced himself to consider the problem he had been trying to avoid: how to get their bodies back and get home.

Why had the ring sent them here? Something happened here that had a huge impact on Pyrrhia. Was this before the Scorch? It would explain why everything was strange and how there was no evidence of other dragons. Was that why they lost their bodies? Because it would scare the locals? How would they get them back? When they figured out a way home A hard pounding on the door jerked him out of his thoughts.

"Did you drown in there?" yelled Jewel.

"No."

"Then you better hurry down here before my fabulous cooking gets cold." He stepped out of the shower, quickly put on the clothes that Jewel had left for him, and hurried out of the room.

The hallway leading to what Jewel called the kitchen was dark, lit by warm yellow bulbs that reflected brightly off the polished wood floor. The bare red walls looked sickly, and Clay couldn't suppress a shiver. Something about the color of the walls bothered him. Had he seen it before? He quickened his pace until he reached the tiled floor of the kitchen.

It was empty.

"Jewel?" He called softly. A loud slamming behind him made him start, and he spun around to face Jewel. "What's wrong?" he asked, eyes on her panicked figure.

"Your friends," she said breathlessly. "They won't wake up."


	7. Chapter 7

The world stopped for a moment as Clay sought to understand. He found himself moving toward the door, Jewel on his tail. His trance broke only long enough to remind himself that she wasn't literally on his tail.

He felt his body warm as he burst outside, the sun doing nothing to thaw the freezing in his blood.

The barn was unnaturally silent. Not even the scuttling of barn mice could be heard; it was as if the entire place held its breath.

His friends lay sprawled as they were before, appearing in peaceful sleep. He stood frozen, staring down at them like some distant god.

"There still breathing," Jewel confirmed. "But when i shook them, they wouldn't wake." Clay stepped into the stall and knelt by the nearest person: Sunny. Her petite frame was curled in a ball, and he could hear her gently inhale and exhale.

"What could have done this?" he whispered to himself. Was it an after-effect of the ring? Or a disease that this world has? If so, why didn't it affect him? Why was he still awake?

A buzzing sound made them both jump and Jewel sheepishly pulled out a little rectangular box that seemed oddly shiney. She glanced at it and her brow darkened.

"It's my mom," she said in explanation, then touched the box and put it to her ear.

"Hello?" she said.

Clay started at her as if she had sprouted horns.

"Yes, I'm at home. Yes, I did my chores. Wait, say that again." Her face pailed. "You're in the driveway? And you need help with the groceries?" Jewel motioned with her hand for Clay to cover up his friends with hay, stifling Starflight's snores. She wagged her finger at him and he followed her into a dark room at the other end of the barn, still talking into the box. Without turning on the light she pushed him to the floor and handed him a thick blanket. In the small amount of light spilling in from the open door, he saw her mouth the command to stay, then walked out of the room. The door shut with a loud click, and Clay was alone in the darkness.

breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakrbreak

The blackness pressed on his eyes like an invisible enemy, menacing and oppressive. The only sounds that he could hear were those of his rapid breathing and pulsing heart, thudding in his ears.

He released a sigh, and in the brief silence he heard a small release of breath. He froze.

Someone was in the room with him.

At that moment something poked him in the neck and he jumped away, yelping. A hand reached out and grasped his hair, pulling him hard enough to tear it out of his skull. Lashing out with all his strength, he heard with satisfaction a groan of pain as his fist collided with flesh. Another, more intense, prick flashed through his neck and he knew no more.

breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak

Cold water shocked Clay from his unconsciousness, gasping and blinking away the water in his eyes. The bright florescent lights seared his eyes, reflection off the plain white walls and shiny floor. He shivered at the chill that seeped through his knees from the floor. He hands were tied tightly together with a rope to the ceiling, rubbing his skin raw. A massive hand dug into his hair and yanked his head back and he couldn't suppress a cry of pain. His eyes found a man in a white coat standing before him, grinning wickedly. His glasses glinted in the light, and his pale face contracted with the dark grey stubble on his chin.

Still grinning madly the man knelt by the still-sputtering Clay and grabbed his face, twisting it to examine it from both sides. Eventually the man let go but stayed kneeling.

"I'm so glad you're here," said the man pleasantly. He had a surprisingly gruff voice, with a note that he was fond of cynicism. "I had to restrain myself from capturing you immediately, but I think that the data we have gathered has more than made up for it."

"Who are you?" Clay growled. The man's eyes seemed to glow, and Clay was frighteningly aware that his head was still pulled back, and that his throat was openly exposed. The man smirked.

"I believe we haven't met officially, so I understand your curiosity." He stuck out his hand mockingly. "My name is Jason Henrick, Jewel's father."


	8. Chapter 8

"You're Jewel's father!?" He winced as his voice echoed sharply. Jason laughed, a cold, mirthless sound, and the man holding Clay's head aloft chuckled darkly.

"What were you expecting, some senile old man?" Jason barked, reaching out to grab Clay's arm. "Can a senile old man do this?" He dug his fingernails into the soft flesh, and Clay screamed as blood began to flow. Jason yanked out his bloody fingernails, blood pouring from the wounds. Jason' assistant held an open tube and when it was halfway full of blood handed it to a grinning Jason.

"You see," Jason said," I think there is something special about you and your friends, Clay. And this," he shook the tube," will be the key."

"We're not important," Clay persuaded. "We're just kids."

"Do unimportant kids fall out of the sky in a ball of light?"

Clay paled and Jason's grin grew wider. "Did you think no one would notice? You should be lucky it was I who observed your arrival and not someone more...unpleasant."

Clay thought that that was unlikely.

"I will discover the truth, Clay, and I will break you and friends, if necessary."

Clay stiffened. "If you hurt them…"

"Oh, they're fine. For now. But if you should happen to resist me...well, let's just say that not only your blood will stain my clean floors." He turned to walk away and Clay groped desperately for an edge.

"How would Jewel feel about this?" He questioned. "Or your wife? How would they feel about this?" Jason stopped and looked at him seriously, for once his smile gone.

"For the sake of science, I will do anything." Something cold pricked his neck, and the last thing he saw was the glint of light from Jason's glasses.

Breakbreakbreakbeakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbeakbfeakbfeakbfeakbfeakbfeakbre

Awareness came slowly. Pain flared from his body as he forced open an eye. His hands were still tied together but he was no longer in the same room. The blank gray walls seemed to close in on him, like a huge predator. He sat up and immediately felt dizzy. He groaned and rested his head in his hands.

"Clay." He spun around and saw his friends gazing worriedly at him, Starlight frowning in his direction, and at the forefront sat Jewel. Besides their disheveled hair and and wrinkled clothes they appeared to be unhurt.

But for how long?

"Oh my gosh, what did he do to you?!" Jewel rushed over and grabbed his sore arm. Pain flashed through his and he hissed. Dried blood ran down his arm in random shapes, crusty and stinking of iron. Jewel drew back, concerned. "Where else are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." He hissed through gritted teeth. And truly, besides his arm, he had no other physical wounds. But he still felt like he had fallen off a cliff. "Can you untie my hands please? I almost can't feel them."

As she unwound the rope he let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Clay." Tsunami said as he rubbed his wrists. "What's going on? Why are we here?" Clay recited everything, from when he had woken that morning-or yesterday morning?- to when he had met Jason.

"He said something about our blood being the key to something. That make any sense to you?"

Everyone shook their heads except Jewel, who paled. "I've heard my dad talking to someone when he thought I wasn't listing. They're planning on creating something new...and it will be big. I heard him mention something about blood donors and 'the first of its kind.'

Clay pondered. Why would Jason need them? More importantly, why was Jewel with them? Was this some kind of trick? His thoughts were interrupted by a clicking noise, and then the door opened.


	9. Author Update

Hey so I know you all are probably really irritated about how I haven't updated in awhile, and I'm sorry. I've had a little writer's block, coupled with working on other projects and school and everything. I will try to update as soon as I can, just know that never will I ever abandon a story. Please have a little patience, and I will update asap.


	10. Chapter 9

A burly man entered the room, his huge frame looming over him. A white lab coat trailed on the floor, the edges streamed with crimson. He lumbered over to Clay and hauled him up by his sore arm, making him wince.

"Come on. The boss want you." He pushed Clay toward the door.

"No!" Jewel yelled, launching herself at the man. He blinked in surprise as Jewel ricocheted off of him, then swung a huge paw and latched on to Jewel's throat.

Clay's blood froze as he squeezed, aiming to crush her windpipe. Jewel pawed weakly at his hand. "Stop! You're killing her!" screamed Clay. The man seemed to come to his senses and unclenched his hand. Jewel dropped like a stone, coughing and wheezing like a fish out of water. A hand-shaped bruise was already starting to form, an ugly blue-purple that stood out against her pale skin. Clay growled at the man and he brought his hand up and smacked Clay across the face.

"None of that," said the man, pushing Clay out the door. "We're already late."

The fluorescent light burned Clay's eyes, and his sense of smell was overwhelmed by the scent of cleaning fluid. As the man dragged him down the hallway, Clay's bare feet grew numb against the cold stone. Several rooms lined the hallway; all of the doors were made of heavy stone, and locked. Various squeaks, grunts, howls, growls, and snarls came from them. All of the doors were decorated with an assortment of chains and padlocks, criss-crossing and looping over the others.

The man stopped at the end of the hallway in front of the last room. The door was regular wood, though deep scratches penetrated it. The man opened the door and pushed him through into a bright room.

An oak desk dominated the small space, piles of papers stacked haphazardly, some pooling onto two chairs across from the desk or onto the shining floor. Jason sat behind the desk, bending over a pile of papers.

"Ah, Clay," Jason said without looking up. "So glad you could join me." He finally looked up. He looked above Clay's head and nodded. "Strap him." Suddenly the guard sprung into action, and before Clay could react he was pushed into a door on the right. The Darkened gray walls repealed heat any heat in the room, making his blood feel like ice. Tables lined the walls, covered with bloody tools of various sizes and sharpness. A metal table stood in the center of the room, under the eye of a fake sun, it's light cold and dead. He struggled against the man, but he simply whacked Clay about the head with his strong hands. Stunned, Clay didn't fight back as the man heaved him onto the table and strapped his limbs down. The cold seeped into his limbs and he went into full panic mode, fighting vainly against the straps.

"Now, now, none of that," Jason chided. "Are you going to sit quietly or do I need to get one of your friends to help me?" Clay immediately quited. No way was he going put his friends through this. "Now," Jason said, holding up a short blade. "Let's begin."

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The next hour passed in a blur of pain. Jason asked him questions, pressing for information on his real name, where he came from, what he was. Clay answered his questions in silence, and his lack of response was always rewarded with some form of pain-inflicting method. Sometimes Jason used the small knife to make small cuts in various places until the knife was red and blood flowed freely from Clay's body, dripping steadily onto the floor. Eventually Jason ceased tormenting him and the assistant that had brought him dragged him back to his cell. Clay was exhausted. He barely was aware when the guard opened the door and threw him onto the floor. The cold floor felt good on his heated body, and he relaxed slightly as the pain ebbed slightly. A soft hand gently picked up his head and began stroking his hair, and he finally allowed the darkness to invade.


	11. Chapter 10

The days blurred together. CLay felt empty, a shell of a body with nothing inside. Jason continued his interrogations, determined to get answers that Clay didn't have. As usual the guard hauled him from the cell, too weak to fight against the routine. The straps settled into their familiar places and Clay prepared himself for another round of intense 21 questions. The guard left, but Jason didn't appear for several minutes.

He studied a pile of papers in his hands intensly, and after several minutes of murmuring and shuffling he finally glanced at Clay.

"Good morning!" Jason said cheerfully. Clay was immediately on edge. He had seen Jason in all kinds of moods, but he had yet to see him this cheerful. It was like taking a bite of an unknown fruit.

A dangerous fruit.

"Micheal, get these crude restraints off. What are we, animals?" Michael came and unstrapped him, then stood without a word.

Confusion and wariness made him tense. What happened to the annual questions? The cuts and bruises on his body reminded him that he shouldn't complain.

"Come." Jason strolled out of the room and he reluctantly followed.

Jason led him farther down the hallway than he had been before. Despite himself he became curious as the cold, hard floors and harsh florescent lights were replaced by lush carpet and warm lamps. He began to spot people with ironed ties and shiny shoes. He blushed self-consciously as they stopped and stared as he walked past, though Jason and Michael took no notice.

Eventually Jason stopped beside a polished wooden door and lead him inside. Small cages were stacked around each wall and Jason peered into each one with glee. Clay looked and gasped. Inside each cage was a miniature dragon. Tiny horns curled around their heads, their leathery skin pulsing with heat.

"They've just started to produce fire," Jason explained. "Soon we'll have to move them to more fire-proof enclosures." Jason grinned at Clay's shock. "You've been very helpful in creating these creatures, Clay. Why, you're practically the father!"

"H-how?"

"You're blood. We studied it and found that it contains traits of reptile and avian, crossed together and fused to make something now. We extracted the nucleus and placed them within eagle and crocodile embryos. Your DNA slowly took over the embryos natural cells, replacing were born." Jason grinned smugly. "There has always been debate in my field about the existence of dragons. Until now I never believed it possible. And this is just the beginning. When the world sees that we can create-or should I say, recreate-, they will practically throw their money at my feet. And just think of the advancement of science, what we could accomplish in the future!" Jason worked himself into a frenzy, face flushed and eyes gleamed. Clay found himself taking a step back. His eyes roamed the room, reluctant to meet Jason's eyes. They settled on a nearby desk.

And the ring that dominated the space.

Clay bit back a gasp of surprise. It was Darkstalkers' ring, the ring that had started this whole mess.

The ring that could get them home.

He glanced at Jason, who rambled on while rifling through his papers. Very slowly he inched toward the desk and reached out. An ominous click made him freeze. Jason glared at him, and he held outstretched what could only be a weapon of some sort.

"Step away from the desk, of you please." He spoke calmly. Clay did as he was asked until his chance of getting home sat feet away.

Jason stared at him. "When we were in the woods the night you arrived, I stumbled upon this, lying in the grass." He paused. "That's what caused that bright light, isn't it? It's what brought you here?" Clay said nothing, but Jason must have sensed an answer.

"This is how this is going to go." The weapon remained unwavering at his head. "You want that ring so you and your friends can go home, and I will be willing to give it to you. But I need something in return. To continue on with my research, I need a bigger specimen. A grown specimen." He paused for dramatic effect. "In return for your freedom, one of you must allow me to use you in my experiment."

Clay blanched. "Help you how?"

"By allowing me to use their body." Clay shook his head with horror. "How can you ask that?! Give one of my friends up?! Never!"

"Never say never, Clay." He clapped his hands and Michael reentered. "Take him back to the cell." He turned back to Clay. "I will give you 2 hours. Think very carefully about what I said." Michael grabbed him by the arm, and Clay allowed him to steer him out.

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The cell was quiet. They had been relieved when he had returned unharmed, but quickly fell silent as he recited his story.

Starflight finally spoke. "There's got to be another way."

"Well, genius, figure it out then," Tsunami snapped. Starflight looked hurt.

"Guys, please don't fight," Sunny begged. "Snapping at each other won't cooperate."

Glory answered. "Then we wouldn't have the ring and he would probably just take one of us by force."

"How do we know that after he gets what he wants he'll fulfill his end of the deal?"

Clay shrugged. "We don't. But feel free to throw out any suggestions."

No one said anything.

"I'm going to do it," Clay stated. He fought to be heard over the shouts of protest. "If Jason is true to his word, you'll get the ring and you can go home."

"No!" Tsunami shouted. "You've already taken the brunt of his attention. I'll do it."

"You are a princess and Glory has a kingdom to run. I'm the weakest of the group, so I'll do it."

"Starflight, you're not weak," Sunny said softly. Starflight shot her a weak smile.

Clay slammed his hand against the wall and the bang made everyone jump. "This is not up for discussion. The only one he has shown any interest in is me, and I want to keep it that way."

The cell vibrated with the cacophony of their indignation, each one telling why they should be the one to take the risk.

Despite the noise, no one missed the quiet voice who stated, "I'll do it."

Everyone stared at Jewel, who shifted nervously. Clay opened his mouth but Jewel raised her hand. "Before you try to be all heroic and stuff, hear me out. You've sacrificed so much for all of us, Clay. I don't know what my father-" She spat the word out like poison. "Wants from you, or what this science experiment is. But maybe I can appeal to his better nature. If there's any left."

"Absolutely not," Clay practically snarled. "I will not risk losing you." He blushed as the words rolled out like a boulder going downhill. "The only reason you're in this mess is because we dragged you here. You should have remained happily in the dark, and I would do anything to go back and make it so."

Jewel penetrated him with sad eyes. "Clay, you know that I was never happy with my life. I don't know what a ring has to do with all this, but it must be worth it. And I will make sure you get it. Don't think I can't handle him, Clay."

Clay stood stone still, but after several minutes of silence he reluctantly nodded.

Jewel sighed with relief. "Get some sleep," she suggested. "We're all going to need it."

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Clay awoke hours later to the click of the lock. An unknown guard entered the room with weapon drawn.

"Which one of you is coming?" he questioned gruffly. Jewel stood silently.

If the guard was surprised that his boss's daughter was the one volunteering, he showed no sign. He inclined his head to the door. "Let's go."

As she walked past to her fate Clay briefly reached out and touched her hand. She gave it a quick squeeze, but all too soon her warmth was gone as she followed the guard.

And the door clicked shut.


	12. Chapter 11

Clay didn't know how much more he could take.

He had almost paced a path through the floor, banged his hands on the unyielding metal door until he bled, and counted how many tiles were on the ceiling.

And Jewel still had not returned.

"Clay." Clay ignored the voice. "Clay, cut it out, you're driving everyone crazy!"

Starflight voice went into one ear and out the other. All he could think was if Jewel was all right and when she would come back.

If she came back.

He pushed the dark thought away as a hand grabbed his arm and spun him around.

"Clay, you need to calm down. Going crazy is not going to help Jewel." Sunny pleaded.

Clay had never been this worried and angry in his whole life, his body taunt. The stress and pain of the last week had stretched him thin, and his worry about Jewel had almost tipped him over the edge. Perhaps that was why he did something he had never dreamed of doing, and what he swore he would never do again.

He pushed Sunny.

She slammed against the wall with a gasp of pain and everyone glared at Clay with shock.

Tsunami jumped to her feet and snarled in his face. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You need to calm down right now!"

He clenched his fists and growled. "Get out of my face"

Tsunami moved so fast he couldn't react as her fist slammed into his face. Pain blossomed in his eye, and the pain renewed his anger. He tackled Tsunami and wrestled for control on the hard floor.

"Guys, cut it out!" Starflight fought to be heard over the noise. From the corner of his eye Clay could see Glory slide toward the door.

Tsunami yanked his hair, freeing him to roll over until she sat on his chest. Her eyes were a wildfire and her face twisted into a ferocious snarl as she continued to punch him everywhere she could reach.

"Hey, cut it out!" Michael the guard entered, drawn by the noise. "Stop this at once!" His failure to see Glory by the door lead to him lying on the floor unconscious from a swift blow to the head.

Tsunami and Clay stopped fighting immediately.

Tsunami grinned as she helped Clay to his feet. "I can't believe that worked!" Clay immediately ran over to Sunny, who was still trying to get her breath back. "I'm sorry I pushed you so hard. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Sunny beamed. "It's okay, and I'm fine." Clay sighed with relief.

"We should get going," Starflight pointed out. "It won't be long until they raise the alarm."

Clay nodded. "Follow me." He cautiously poked his head out. When he was sure it was clear he crept down the hallway.

Despite all the branching paths Clay had no trouble remembering the way. He kept expecting to meet someone while turning a corner, but surprisingly there was no one. FInally he spotted the door and carefully snuck inside.

It looked like a different room. All of the cages were empty, no traces of the young dragons remaining. He looked hopefully toward the desk.

The ring was gone.

Clay cursed softly. He shouldn't be surprised. Jason probably had moved it to a more secure location the might even have it with him.

And wherever he was, there was a chance that Jewel was nearby. "We have to go find Jewel," Clay whispered. "Whatever he's doing to Jewel, it can't be good."

"But what about Darkstalker's ring? We need it to get home." Tsunami challenged.

"Jewel gave herself up for us, and that is how you want to repay her? By leaving her here with her psycho father?"

Tsunami looked abashed. Sunny chimed in."Besides, if Jason is with Jewel, that's probably where the ring is too."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Let's go. We'll have to be very careful."

They snuck quietly down the hall, Tsunami and Clay leading the way, with Glory and

Sunny guiding Starflight. They continued on without incident until suddenly two guards rounded the nearest corner.

The two groups stared at each other for several seconds. As the guards finally reached for their weapons Clay sprung into action. He punched one in the face, sending him crashing into the wall with a sickening thud. Tsunami kicked the other in the stomach before slamming his head into the floor.

They stood panting over the unconscious bodies. "Well, that went well." Tsunami said,

At that moment a shrill wail echoed through the halls, and red lights began flashing in a blinding pattern.

"Come on!" Starflight shouted, hands clasped over his ears. They sprinted down the hallway, but not before Clay snatched one of the weapons from a guard's holster.

Carpeted hallway after carpeted hallway flew by until Clay was utterly lost. Besides the two guards, they had yet to see anyone else.

As suddenly as it started the blaring alarm ceased. The silence rang in his head like a gong. They stopped and clustered in a group like blood clots to a wound, hypnotized by the lack of noise.

"Where is everyone?" Sunny asked nervously, wringing her hands.

Tsunami glared suspiciously at the closed doors surrounding them. "I don't know, but I don't like it. We should have at least garnered some attention with the alarm."

"Unless the alarm isn't for us."

Glory looked at Starflight curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe Jason doesn't know we escaped. There are no people, which could suggest that they are all in one place, or…"

"Or what?"

Starflight's sightless eyes widened. "Or they left."

Tsunami scoffed. "Why would they feel the need to leave?"

The lights flickered ominously, and deep from the bowels of the building came a ferocious roar, one that was surprisingly familiar.

Clay gasped. "That's a dragon's roar."

Starflight paled. "He actually did it. He made a dragon." Another roar shook the building, a monstrous quaking Clay could feel in his bones. "And it sound angry."


	13. Chapter 12

They sprinted down the hallway, the world in a dizzying circle. The roaring continued; the dragon never seemed to run out of air. They were turning into another hallway when Sunny shouted, "There!"

She pointed toward a swinging door, and they ran down a set of damp stairs. Down, down, and down they went until the stairs faced a lone dark entryway. The noise had ceased and Clay's ears ached.

"This is it." His voice echoed down the ominous hallway. As they crept along, water dripped from the ceiling into stagnant puddles. Eventually the hallway opened into a huge circular room, dark except for a few flickering ceiling lights. Strange machines stood sentinel along the walls, silent as the grave. One wall was complete glass, and Clay gasped as he gazed down.

The once-white tiles glistened red. Bodies in lab coats lay with missing limbs and gaping holes. Bloody footprints lead through a broken door into darkness. "Those are definitely dragon tracks," Tsunami stated. "Though not from any species I know."

Sunny started to turn green as her eyes filled with tears; Clay turned her away. "Thanks." she whispered. He gave her a squeeze. A shadow moved in the corner of his vision, and he pushed Sunny out of the way as it pinned him to the floor.

He struggled to breath as massive paws seeked to see him splattered. Saliva flecked with blood flew at the rumbling growl it gave. His eyes roved over bulging shoulders, a thick neck, to the angry green eyes set deep into the skull. He knew those eyes, had gazed into them before.

Jewel's eyes.

Clay couldn't move as it lowered its muzzle to sniff him. Over its shoulder gnarled wings reached to a tail as thick as a tree trunk, swiping cat-like back and forth. Clay forced himself to speak. "Jewel?"

It snarled, no recognition in its...Jewels, eyes. It opened its maw, a dark abyss lined with spears that inched closer and closer to his neck…

Clay sucked in a welcome gulp of air as the dragon staggered to the floor by Tsunami's kick. "Clay, get up!" She yanked him to his feet and shoved him away from the wrathful shadow. "Run!"

Clay obeyed without question. Their feet pounding on the floor and their hearts spasming in were not loud enough to deafen the sound of pursuit. Tsunami's panting echoed in his ear as he risked a glance behind.

He wished he hadn't. The darkness, deep and never-ending, was not deep or dark enough to hid the dim silhouette. He could smell its putrid breath, hear its claws as it shoved things out of its way, shredding metal like butter.

What had Jason done?

Suddenly a burst of gunfire ricocheted around the room. The dragon roared with pain as a lucky bullet found its mark.

"Stop this at once!" Jason appeared as if from thin air, a monstrous gun strapped at the hip. Surprisingly the dragon stayed as Jason strode forward ignoring the dirty teenagers behind him "There's no need to act this way." Clay could see lines of red racing through his white coat. "I didn't create you to act like this." A low growl shook the floor. Clay's heart lept to his throat, but Jason seemed unperturbed.

"I am your master, and you will obey me! Do you understand?" The dragon eyed him disdainfully, and to Clay's horror crept forward a step.

Clay could almost smell Jason's fear. "Do you hear me?" He jumped as Jason squeezed the trigger. The dragon hesitated as the bullets kicked up a cloud of dust near its claws, and took another step.

Jason took a step back and fumbled in his pocket. "I sacrificed everything for this; my life, my money, even my daughter, whose blood runs through your veins." Clay barely registered his words before a glittering object in Jason's hand drew his attention.

Jason thrust the ring at the dragon like a weapon, as if a band of gold would stop a five-ton beast with teeth and claws. "I am your god, and you will bow before me!"

And with a burst of surprising speed the dragon's claws split him in two.

As Jason's chest crumpled to the floor the ring bounced to a stop in a growing pool of blood. If he ran, he might be able to grab it. It was so close. He looked up at the eyes filled with hunger. He turned his head, meeting his friend's frightened stares. "Go!" he yelled as he rolled away from the claws that pierced the floor.

He made sure his friends obeyed his order, then sprinted toward the ring. He ducked as

the dragon's tail barely missed his head, slipping on Jason's blood. He stooped for the ring…

And felt the warm metal bite into his hand as he turned to run. Instead he found himself face to face with the hunter.

He couldn't move. He stared into those oh-so-familiar eyes, and Jason's words came back

to him. Tears flooded his vision. Through a watery hace he saw the dragon's confusion. "Jewel? Are you in there?" Nothing. Clay took a deep breath and stepped over the top half of Jason's body. The dragon growled in warning. "Jewel, it's me. It's Clay."

He stretched out his hand, and the dragon stood like a block of ice as he placed in on its warm, blood-soaked snout. When he was sure he wasn't about to be eaten he looked into eyes filled with recognition. "Jewel, can you understand me?" And through his hand he felt the faintest of tremors, and he jumped as a voice invaded his mind.

"Clay." It was Jewel. His tears began to fall, his heart threatened to burst with joy.

"Oh, Jewel. What did he do to you?"

Silence. Then, "I don't know how, but he transfered my soul into this body." Clay eyed the fangs, furled wings, the blood between her claws.

"Why do I smell blood?"Clay started at her alarm. Before he could stop her she glanced over his shoulder, searching… until her eyes found the body of her father.

She shrieked her grief, and Clay let her, even as his skull pounded with pain. "What have I done!? I'm a monster!"

"No, Jewel." Clay said in a soothing voice. "It wasn't you." She shrieked again, but this time from pain. Her body shuddered beneath his hand.

He was instantly on guard. "Jewel, what's wrong?"

"I don't have much time. I managed to take the beast by surprise, but it won't be long before it recovers and I am no longer...myself." Her eyes raced to his clenched fist. "I see you have the ring. Good. Take it and your friends and run."

"I'm not leaving you to this." he refuted. "There's got to be some way to-"

Even as he said this she shook her bulky head. "I am only a little of what I once was. Even if you could somehow return me to my body, I wouldn't be the Jewel you know."

"I don't care!" Jewel screamed again, violently shuddering.

"Clay." Her voice was fading. "I once told you I had no friends. That was a lie. You and the other are my friends, and I am so happy that I can die knowing someone will miss me when…"

"You're not going to die!" A river of ice flowed through his body.

Her voice was so faint he had to strain to hear it. "I love you, Clay. Now run." And felt his mind become his once more.

"Jewel?" He watched as light filled the dragon's eyes, a wall of hunger and hate. He jerked back as teeth flashed an inch from his hand. Jewel was gone.


	14. Chapter 13(Ending)

**This is the last chapter in this story, so I hope you and have enjoyed it. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**

"Shh!"

"Quit moving, you're stepping on my foot!"

"Do you think it can hear us?"

"Quit!" The chatter subsided. "Let me see if the coast is clear." A sliver, not of light, but of brighter darkness. Searching for movement, scanning the shadows.

"All clear."

They crept out like mice, eying every stretch of darkness. Tsunami cursed as she ran into one of the many desks in the room. By memory she groped for the door and opened it a crack.

No dragon was hiding against the white walls. The same lights still flickered every few paces. But there was still no Clay.

"Does anyone remember the way back?" Tsunami whispered. They had followed Clay's suggestion and had ran down the nearest hallway, and by the time Tsunami realized that Clay was missing they had taken so many turns that they were thoroughly lost.

Starflight, holding Sunny's hand, said, "Left. We should go left."

"Why?"

He licked his finger and held it up. His dark skin blended in with the shadows. "The air from the left has the faint tinge of blood. Unless the dragon has moved to another part of the building…"

"Then it should lead us back into that main room." Glory finished. "Let's go."

They navigated slowly, too slowly for Tsunami's taste. Once they thought they heard the sound of footsteps, and such was their fear that it was a full five minutes before they dared continue.

At once intersection a voice interrupted the pressing silence.

"-leaving you to this!" Clay's angry, tear-filled voice caught Tsunami off-guard. For several seconds the only sound was their footsteps as they followed the sound of his voice. "I don't care!" She jumped, and urged the group to greater speed.

She broke into a run as a familiar growl reached her ears. They burst into the main room; the tail of the dragon almost took of her head, swiping away the clutter of its rampage.

"Clay!" Glory shouted, and Tsunami followed her eyes to Clay, frozen with fear. She met his gaze, and the raw pain in them made her take a step back.

The dragon spun, attracted to the new noise, and a potential food source. Tsunami's muscles tightened, ready to run, but it simply looked at them. A strange gurgling ran up its throat, but by the time she realized what it was doing a ball of fire was all she could see.

Time seemed to slow down. Her body kicked into survival mode, screaming at her to run. But her brain supplied her with the logical truth, that even if she ran as fast as she could she would never get out of the way in time. She had heard tell that in the face of death one can see one's life flash before their eyes. But she only saw the intertwined colors of flame and smoke, frozen in rapture. She didn't move even as she watched Clay, in slow motion, run and stood in front of her. And she didn't move as Clay held up Darkstalker's ring, the cause of so much trouble. As she closed her eyes she did not fail to see the bright bands of light erupt from the ring's contact with the burning death, did not fail to feel the warmth of its embrace, but no sensation of pain of burning. Her feet left the floor and she knew no more.

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"Awaken, young one."

Clay groaned as he pried his eyes open. A dark figure loomed above him, and only when he had scrambled to his feet on the fresh grass did he realize that he had four legs. He had no time to celebrate as he flared his wings in defense.

"No need to be afraid. I will not harm you."

"Who are you?"

Instead of answering, the stranger held up the ring in the sun, bright rays glinting off its surface. "I see you found my ring." He inspected it closely. "And not even a scratch on it."

Clay's blood ran cold. He voiced his disbelief. "Darkstalker?"

The Nightwing bowed. "The one and only."

For several moments Clay couldn't find the words, much to Darkstalker's amusement. Finally he managed to squeak, "Where are we? How is this possible?"

Darkstalker motioned to their surroundings. "This place has formal name, though some might call it the Netherworld. It is the place between life and death, where sould such as I linger until we want to pass on."

Clay choked. "I'm dead."

"Don't be stupid! You're lucky that your little trick with the dragon fire worked, or we would already be fast friends."

Clay shivered and Darkstalker laughed.

"No. You are simply unconscious, and will soon return to the world of the living.I called you here because you must do something for me."

Clay narrowed his eyes. "And if I refuse?"

Darkstalker shrugged. "Feel free to make yourself at home. I get quite lonely sometimes." Clay looked around at the towering trees, the gently rolling brook, all bathed in unnatural light. Finally he sighed in defeat.

"What do you want?"

Darkstalker leaned in close, and Clay fought the urge to back away from his putrid breath. "When you regain consciousness, I want you to hide the ring in the cave where you found it and destroy any entrance there could be. It must never be found again."

Clay protested. "But think of what all we could learn! We could go back in time, shape history the way we want, and-"

"You fool!" Darkstalker's tail whipped dangerously close to his head. "Have you learned nothing? In the wrong claws, this ring could bring the world you know to an past could be rewritten into something it was never meant to be."

"Then why make it in the first place?"

Darkstalker smirked. "I admit that I was curious; the mysteries of the past constantly haunt and torment me. If I could create something that could travel backward, I could solve the questions that weave through every one of our kind. What happened before the Scorch? How did it start? How did we come to be? So, naturally, I planned to build this ring. I worked in secret, and after several long months I was finally able to test it out." Here he paused, and for the first time Darkstalker looked...rattled. "What I discovered, the truth about how our world was born… I hid the ring, hoping that never again would never make the same mistake I did The past is not to be meddled with. But a few days ago I felt a twinge in my power, and I knew that someone had found the ring and used it, but I prayed that you would not be sent back as far as I did." He gave Clay a searching look. "I prayed in vain. Now you are like me, haunted by the memories of the past."

Clay was still confused. "But I don't understand. I wasn't at the Scorch. Did I go farther than that?"

Darkstalker clawed the ground. "Don't you see? You were there when Jason created the first dragon. You left before you could see the damage it caused, how the younger prototypes escaped and evolved, breed like rabbits, and took over everything. Your involvement just quickened the process."

Something in Clay's brain clicked. "So if we hadn't been there, Jewel would still be alive."

"It's possible. In another timeline Jason did not use his daughter as his test subject, taking the longer route of combining body parts and blood of other animals until he got what he was after. But the outcome was always the same: near annihilation for the scavengers, or the humans, as they called themselves."

Clay's heart crumpled. If they hadn't been stupid enough to look for a dangerous artifact, stupid enough to get caught by Jason...Jewel could still be alive. Before he could stop himself he lifted his head to the sky and roared. Nearby birds took flight, but still he minutes passed, but Clay only stopped when his throat was in ribbons. But the hole in his chest was still empty.

He expected Darkstalker to laugh but the Nightwing only looked thoughtful. "You loved her, didn't you?"

Clay was too busy getting his breath back to answer, but it must have been plain. "Look, I'd love for you to stay here and take your pain out on the sky, but you're fading. Literally." Darkstalker was right; he could begin to see the ground through his body.

"Clay, one more thing." Darkstalker's voice became distant. "I've taken the liberty of erasing your friends memories. Try not to tell them about this, will you?"

And then darkness.

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"Clay, are you okay?"

Sunny's concerned voice brought Clay into the waking world. He was lying near the entrance of a cave, under a sky full of bright stars. Phyyriahan stars.

"What happened?" he asked Sunny as he stood and shook his wings.

"We were getting ready to go inside the cave when you suddenly passed out. We drug you over hear, and the others went to look for some food. They'd figured you would be hungry when you woke up."

At the thought of food Clay's stomach rumbled, and he grinned sheepishly.

Sunny giggled. "I figured. Let's go find the others." With a last look at the cave Clay followed her into the sky and flew into the darkness.

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The others were overjoyed to see Clay awake, but as they feasted on fresh venison the failed to see the tears at the corners of his eyes. They failed to hear him fly away when they went to sleep. And when they went back to the cave the next morning they found the entrance caved in, the rubble too deep to dig through. They failed to notice the cave dirt that clung to Clay's scaled, or the little cuts on his body.

So they went on with their lives, and soon the cave and Darkstalker's ring were forgotten for all but one. And the ring lay buried forevermore.


End file.
